Man killed in explosion

One man was killed following an explosion at an industrial site, police said.

Emergency services were called to the Mundells, an area near Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, shortly after 3pm on Wednesday.

Man missing and another fighting for his life after a gas cylinder exploded

An argon cylinder exploded inside a building still under construction.

Six other men were injured by the blast and are receiving treatment at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Howlands, Herts. One is in a critical condition, one is seriously hurt and four received minor injuries.

Jon Smith, Group Commander of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue, described the scene inside the warehouse building.

He said: “A cylinder of gas depressurised, there was no actual fire, the gas is inert, which acted like a missile and set off the other cylinders. Each cylinder weighs about 50kg and is about 5ft tall, they’ve made a real mess of the inside of the building, they’ve taken down walls and floors. They are argon cylinders which were actually being used as a fire suppressant in the building for the computer room.

“The building is under construction, there is significant widespread damage. The external structure is intact, but 50% of the internal structure has been affected, walls are down, floors are up and walls knocked out. These cylinders have become missiles and fired around randomly.”

The building is being built by construction firm Laing O’Rourke, but it has not confirmed who its client is.

The Health and Safety Executive are aware of the incident and are monitoring the situation.

A Hertfordshire Police spokesman said: “I can now confirm that one man has tragically died as a result of the incident. His family has now been made aware and a trained officer is providing them with some support at this time.”